Ryosuke Kiyasu: Redefining the Drum Solo with a Singular Snare
In the world of music, the unexpected can lead to the extraordinary. Artists continuously push boundaries, challenging preconceived notions of what music is and what it can be. At the forefront of avant-garde exploration is Ryosuke Kiyasu, a Japanese musician who has made a unique niche for himself with his solo snare drum shows. His recent tours across the world are a testament to his unorthodox approach.
Kiyasu may be best known as the drummer for various bands such as Fushitsusha, Sete Star Sept, Kiyasu Orchestra, and The Endless Blockade, powerviolence band from Toronto that broke up twelve years ago. Though in recent years he has been embarking on an experimental solo venture that is turning heads and bending ears. Armed with only a snare drum and a couple of drumsticks, he has been captivating audiences with performances exploring the full spectrum of sonic possibilities one instrument can offer.
Kiyasu's recent shows in Finland and Estonia (seen above) showcased his unique approach and left audiences in a state of pure shock and awe. Fans eagerly awaited in small rooms for the opportunity to witness the madness, each performance a unique experience.
Ryosuke Kiyasu's performances are a testament to the idea that less can indeed be more as he takes audiences on a sonic journey unlike they've ever heard. The simplicity of his setup belies the complexity and depth of his performances, where he explores the vast range of sounds that can be coaxed from a single snare drum. From thunderous blast beats to vocal vibrations, the sound Kiyasu is able to create with a single snare drum is as impressive as it is confounding.
The audiences, typically a mix of curious onlookers, avant-garde performance art enthusiasts, and hardcore fans, are always treated to an immersive experience. Not only auditory, shows are visual and visceral. His intense focus and the physicality of his playing turn the snare into an extension of himself. Each beat is heard and felt, reverberating through the bodies of the onlookers, eliciting a range of responses from meditative silence to frenzied movement.
Kiyasu's performances are not to be taken as mere spectacle. They challenge the audience to perceive rhythm in a new light. The concept of a 'solo snare drum show' may sound austere, but the reality is a rich, multi-layered experience that forces us to question our understanding of music and its creation.
It's not just the art crowd in Europe that has experienced the sound of Ryosuke Kiyasu. The drummer has also made his presence felt in the US, as during this performance in Philadelphia.
The antics on display by Kiyasu aren't merely for entertainment, they serve as an in-your-face reminder that music is not about complexity or the number of instruments used; it's about the connection between the artist and the audience.
Kiyasu, with his single snare drum, creates an intimate experience and a shared journey of sonic exploration. It's a brave exploration of uncharted territories, a bold redefinition of what a drum, a drummer, and a drum solo can be. One can only anticipate what new sonic frontiers Kiyasu and his snare will conquer next.
38 comments
Post CommentIs the entire purpose of these articles and reviews to see who can write the most cringey, pseudo intellectual bullshit to prove they are DEEP about music? Because if so you have certainly achieved it.
Well the guy that wrote this is a full-out autist so don't be so mean it's not his fault he is exceptionally annoying
The drummer from shellac does this live. It's cool for performance but what this article represents is dumb.
Redefining lol ... Chet Baker must be rolling in his grave at 1000bpm Then I saw the name of the article's author: Dylan. Dylan, it's ok, I'm sure your name was mentioned in a George Carlin bit at some point.
Absolute hipster cringe. I don't know whats worse his performence or the dickbag with the PBR yelling yeah and headbanging.
I absolutely lost in when a few of the many clones in the room started bobbing while an opium addict cradles a snare on the floor, spinning himself in circles after flipping a desk into one of the other clones.
The only people I can take seriously in his performance videos are the ones smirking or holding in a laugh.
This is like an artist who paints a picture of a tulip with is own shit and then some avant-garde hipster "discovers" it and blogs about what a masterpiece it is
modern art is retarded. tape a banana to a wall and suck it.
As with ALL Japanese music, this is total f*cking garbage. Go back to working at Yamada Denki or Sagawa. Nobody gives two f*cks. Baka Chinga.
I'd rather pay to see this and happily wait in line two hours to do so then listen to a Fat Pat interview of any length of time in the comfort of my own home. Only Fat Pat is more pretentious than this shit.
When they let the autistic kid play in the music room
Who tf uses multiple snares in a "snare DRUM" solo
Just completely ignore Buddy Rich ever existed . With information at fingertips , ignorance is bliss
I can't believe how many people are in these rooms… how long do you think his "performance" lasts? imagine minute 14…
as always, bunch of metalheads are aggressively scared by other music lol
This would have been much better if it was a hard times article
anonymous 2 days ago as always, bunch of metalheads are aggressively scared by other music lol ... I'm a metalhead and also listen to Dave Weckl, Allan Holdsworth, Greg Howe, Simple Minds, Brian Wilson, Com Truise, Perturbator, Carpenter Brut, Rory Gallagher, Médine, MC Solaar, ... Tons of metalheads have very diverse taste in music. Nice try though
This is insanely brilliant , and if you can't understand it , your too simple "You don't get it " what this artist does is create more than art , he is creating a new world….a new universe of expression , the best shit I ever seen …
"This is insanely brilliant , and if you can't understand it , your too simple "You don't get it " what this artist does is create more than art , he is creating a new world….a new universe of expression , the best shit I ever seen …" ^Voted for Biden and thinks he's a competent president.
Utter bullshit. Everybody in that room is sitting there wondering how much longer this can possibly last, but because they don't want to appear unsophisticated or uncultured they pull meaningful faces and nod their heads. THE EMPEROR HAS GOT NO CLOTHES
This is by the far the dumbest thing to happen to music.
Imagjne Bud Dwyer at one of these "performances" 🤯 🔫
I don't quite get it, but all you complainers are no different than the whiney old has beens that complained that metal and punk weren't "real music". Oh the irony.
I mean homeboy may be Asian but this is some white people shit. Probably the whitest shit I've seen this year.
anonymous 52 days ago Is this an AI article? It's gay I article and your bhole is the publisher
How did you type this with a straight face?
Ok Dylan I know your acoustic pls don't ever publish a blog ever again 🙏🏻
"Kiyasu, with his single snare drum, creates an intimate experience and a shared journey of sonic exploration. It's a brave exploration of uncharted territories, a bold redefinition of what a drum, a drummer, and a drum solo can be. One can only anticipate what new sonic frontiers Kiyasu and his snare will conquer next." This is some of the most pretentious bullshit in the world.